Rotary engine.



B. H. A LVEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5,4913.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTO-LITHOY, WASHINGTON, n. C.

B. H. ALVEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1913.

1 1%.]. Patented June 22, 1915.

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Miinesses. Invernnr;

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTOLITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. c

B. ALVEY. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-5,1913.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTQLITHOH WASHINGTON, D. Cv

B. H. ALVEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION man AFR-5,1913.

1 144 11 10 Patented June 22,1915.

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BENJAMIN H. ALVEY, 0F ELIZABETI-ITOWN, KENTUCKY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Manors.

Application filed April 5, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN H. ALVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabethtown, in the county of Hardin and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rotary steam engines designed to increase the efliciency of such engines, to reduce the number of parts which are subject to wear and introduce friction and to provide a thoroughly practical means whereby the direction of rotation of the rotor or rotors may be reversed.

The invention consists in certain peculiarities in the construction of parts and in novel combinations and arrangements of elements substantially as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the sub joined claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated what I consider to be the best embodiment of the invention now known to me, but I would have it understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment herein exemplified without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

In said drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an end elevation of an engine containing the present improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the engine with certain parts broken away and other parts shown in section, this view being intended particularly to show the means for connecting the several valves with each other. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 8; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June as, rare.

Serial No. 759,092.

to be understood that the invention may be embodied in an engine having a different number of rotors and a different relative arrangement of the piston-portions thereof.

Referring now to the herein exemplified embodiment of the invention it will be noted that the casing is formed of two complementary castings A and A, heads A and A and a partition 12, the said parts being bolted together, and relatively so arranged as to provide two rotor chambers 10 and 11. Extending through. the casing is a shaft B which is mounted in suitable bearings 13 and 11 outside the casing. This shaft is provided with a suitable fly wheel C.

D and E designate the rotors which are fixed upon the shaft B and are arranged in the chambers 10 and 11 respectively. The rotors which I prefer to employ are eccentrically mounted on the shaft B while the walls 15 and 16 of the chambers, which encircle the peripheral surfaces of the rotors, are substantially circular: the correlation of the peripheral surfaces of the rotors and the walls 15 and 16 being such thatwhat may be regarded as the high parts of the rotors make steam tight contact withsaid walls, respectively. In the accompanying drawings I have exemplified a particular construction of eccentric rotors which may be employed but to which the invention is not restricted, the drawings showing each rotor provided with internal chambers marked 18 and 18*, which are disposed on opposite sides of a dividing wall 17 and respectively communicate with the steam space of the rotor chamber through ports 20 and 20 which are formed in the outer wall 19 of the rotor. The dividing wall 17 is arranged one, marked 21 which is solid and arranged between the ends of the chambers 18 and 18 Mounted in suitable relation with the engine casing and preferably formed as an integral part thereof, is a steam chest F which is divided into two parts or steam chambers 22 and 23 corresponding to the rotor chambers-l0 and 11, respectively, by a wall 25 which preferably is formed by prolonging the wall 12. Thiswall 25 has an opening 2 L (see Fig. 5) for the free passage of the steam from the part or chamber 22 to the part or chamber 23, the steam being supplied to the steam chest'through an inlet port 26. r 7

Associated with each of the chambers 22 and 23 are suitable steam passages 27 and 28 through which said chambers have communication with the rotor chambers 10 and 11. Between each pair of passages 27 and 28 is a valve chamber 7. These valve chambers extend into the respective steam chambers 22 and 23 and have their inner ends spaced from the outer, bottom, wall F of the steam chest sufficiently, to leave passages 22 and 23 The passage 22 afiords communication of the'parts of the steam chamber 22, on opposite sides of the valve chamber 7 therein, with each other, and the passage 23 similarly afi'ords communication of the corresponding parts of the chamber 23 with each other. The opposite walls of the valve chambers are provided with ports 27 and 28 extending to the passages 27 and 28 respectively and the inner end of the valve chamber is open to the adjacent steam space 22 or 23. Mounted in each valve chamber is a pair of slide valves 29 and 30. These valves are operated only when it is desired to reverse the direction of rotation of the rotors and they are so correlated that when the valves 29 are adjusted to open the passages 27 the valves 30 will simultaneously be adjusted to close the passages 28, and, conversely, when the valves 30 are adjusted to open the passages 28 the valves 29 will be adjusted to close the passages 27. It will be understood that the chamber 22 of the steam chest has communication with the rotor chamber 10 through either of its passages 27 and 28 and the chamber 23 of the steam chest has communicati'on with the rotor chamber 11 through either of two similar passages with which the chamber 23-is provided; and also that when the communication of the chambers 22 and 23 with the rotor chambers 10 and 11, respectively, is through the passage 27 the rotors rotate in one direction and when the communication is through the passages 28 the rotors rotate in the opposite direction. Each reversing valve 29 and 30 isformed with an opening or port. The ports in the reversing valves 29 are marked 31 while the ports in the reversing valves 30 are marked 32. It is through these ports and the ports 27 a and 28 that the chambers 22 and 23 of the steam chest have communication with the passages 27 and 28 and it will be understood that the adjustments of the reversing valves are such as to cause their openings to be thrown into and out of registration with the ports 27 and 28 In view of the fact that the reversing valves remain in their adjusted positions until it is desired to reverse the direction of movement of the rotors, it becomes necessary to provide an additional means for covering and uncovering the ports or openings 31 and 32 at proper times in the revolutions of the rotors. The additional means referred to consists of slide valves 33 and 34-. There is only one of these slide valves 33, 34: for each pair of reversing valves and each is mounted between the pair of reversing valves with which it cooperates in controlling the supply of steam to the rotor chambers. Each valve 33, 3% is in the form of a plate whose inner end extends into the adjacent rotor chamber and has steam-tight contact with the peripheral surface of the rotor chamber. It serves not only alternately to permit and cut off the flow of steam to the rotor chamber at predetermined places in the rotation of the rotor in said chamber, but further serves as an abutment for the steam in the steam space of the rotor chamber.

Each rotor chamber 10 and 11 has two exhaust ports, marked 35 and 36, and these exhaust ports are respectively controlled by slide valves 37 and 38 which are so correlated that the valve 38 closes the exhaust port 36 when the valve 37 is adjusted to open the exhaust port 35. These exhaust ports and the passages 27 and 28 are arranged on opposite sides of the combined valve and abutment associated with the same rotor chamber and the correlation of the parts is such that when the inlet passage 27 on one side of the abutment is open the exhaust port 35 onthe other side of said abutment also is open, the passage 28 and exhaust port 36 being at this time closed, and conversely, when the inlet passage 28 and exhaust port 36 arranged on opposite sides of the combined valve and abutment are open the inlet passage 27 and the exhaust port 35 are closed by the respective valves 29 and 38.

As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 3, the reversing valves 29 and 30 of the chamber 22 of the steam chest are provided with valve-operating rods 39 and 40 whose outer ends are pivotally connected at ll and 42 to a rocking lever 43 fixed on an oscillatory shaft 4A, whereby they are simultaneously moved in relatively reverse directions. It will be understood that the corresponding reversing valves of the chamber 23 of the steam chest are provided with rods connected with each other by a like rocking lever also fixed on said shaft 4 1 whereby all of the reversing valves are simultaneously operated. The valves 37 and 38 associated with the exhaust ports 35 and 36 of the rotor chamber 10 similarly are provided with rods 45 and 46 whose outer ends are pivoted at 4:7 and 48 to a rocking lever 49 fixed on an oscillatory shaft and it will be understood that the corresponding valves associated with the exhaust ports of the rotor chamber 11 are provided with like rods connected with each other by similar rocking levers fixed on said shaft 50, whereby the four exhaust valves are adjused simultaneously.

The shafts 4.4 and 50 are provided with levers or other suitable means, (not shown) whereby they may be rocked manually when it is desired to reverse the direction of movement of the rotors. It will be understood that other than these particular adjusting mechanisms for the several valves referred to may be employed, if desired, and that the adjusting mechanisms may be correlated as to be operated from a common actuating means. F or example, the shaft 44: and oscillatory levers 43 may be dispensed with and the rOds 39 and 40 pivoted directly to the oscillatory levers 49.

Each combined valve and abutment 33, 3% is preferably provided with two rods 51, 52, whose outer ends are connected with each other by a slidable cross head 53. An oscillatory lever fixed on a rock shaft 56 has its ends pivotally connected to lugs or ears 5% projecting from the cross heads. By this means movement of one of said combined slide valves and abutments is transmitted.

to the other in reverse direction. The eccentrically mounted rotors D and E serve as the means from which these combined slide valves and abutments derive their movement, the high part of each rotor thrusting these combined slide valve and abutment outward and the means connecting the two abutments with each other serving to move one inward while the other is moving outward.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and that it also will be understood that while the herein exemplified embodiment of the invention has important advantages, yet the invention in its broader aspects is not restricted to the particular embodiment herein illustrated and that changes may be made in the illustrated details without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a rotor chamber having a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of exhaust ports, a rotor in the rotor chamber, a steam chest and means for controlling communication of the steam chest with the rotor chamber through the inlet ports, comprising a reversing valvemechanism and a combined abutment and valve, said reversing valve-mechanism being adjustable to cut-off communication of the steam chest with one inlet port and open communication of the steam chest with the other inlet port, and said combined abutment and valve being operatively associated with the reversing valve-mechanism and arranged so as alternately to admit steam to and cut it off from the rotor chamber automatically at predetermined places in the rotation of the rotor.

2. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a rotor chamber having a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of exhaust ports, a rotor in the rotor chamber, a steam chest and means for controlling communication of the steam chest with the rotor chamber through the inlet ports, comprising a pair of manually adjustable slidably mounted reversing valves having openings through which the steam chest has communication with the inlet ports, respectively, means whereby the opening in one valve is closed when the other valve is in position to admit steam to the rotor chamber and a combined abutment and valve slidably mounted between the reversing valves and alternately covering and uncovering the opening in the valve which is adjusted to admit steam to the rotor chamber, at predetermined places in the rotation of the rotor.

3. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a rotor chamber, having a plurality of inlet ports and a-plurality of exhaust ports, a rotor in the rotor chamber, a steam chest having channels which respectively lead to said inlet ports and also having a chamber between said channels, a pair of reversing valves slidably mounted in the chamber of the steam chest and having openings which register with said channels in certain positions of adjustment of the reversing valves, said openings being out of registration with said channels and closed in other positions of adjustment of the valves, means whereby said valves are adjusted to close communication of one channel with the steam chest and open communication of the other channel with said chest, simultaneously, and an abutment mounted between said reversing valves and arranged to be automatically reciprocated across the opening of the reversing valve which is in registration with a channel, so as alternately to cover and uncover said opening.

4. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a rotor chamber having aplurality of inlet ports and a plurality of exhaust ports, a rotor in the rotor chamber, a steam chest having channels which respectively lead to said inlet ports and also having a chamber between said channels, a pair of reversing valves slidably mounted in the chamber of the steam chest and having openings which register with said channels in certain positions of adjustment of the reversing valves, said openings being out of registration with said channels and closed in other positionsiof adjustment of the valves, means whereby said valves are adjusted to close communication 7 of one channel with the steam chest and open communication of the other channel with said chest, simultaneously, and an abutment 'slidably mounted between said reversing valves and operatively arranged with relation thereto so as alternately to cover and uncover the opening which is in registration with a channel, said rotor having an eccentric surface engaged with the inner edge of the abutment and said abutment being provided with means for holding it against said surface.

5. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a rotor chamber, having a plurality of inlet ports and a plurality of exhaust ports, a rotor in the rotor chamber, a steam chest having channels which respectively lead to said inlet portsand also having a chamber between said channels, a pair of reversing valves slidably mounted in the chamber of the steam chest and having openings which register with said channels in certain positions of adjustment of the reversing valves, said openings being out of registration with said channels and closed in other positions of adjustment of the valves, rods extending from said valves, a rocker arm connecting said rods with each other, means for rocking said arm manually, and an abutment mounted between said reversing valves and arranged to be automatically reciprocated across the opening of the reversing valve which is in registration with a channel so as alternately to cover and uncover said opening.

6. ,A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a plurality of rotor chambers each having a'pair-of inlet ports and apair of exhaust ports, a shaft extending through said casing, rotors mounted on said shaft and arranged in said chambers, respectively, a steam chest and means for controlling communication of the steam chest with the rotor chambers through the inlet ports, comprising reversing valves and combined abutments and valves, for the rotor chambers, respectively, connecting means for the reversing valves and means connecting the combined abutments and valves with eachrother, said reversing valvesbeing adjustable to cut off communication of the steam chest with one inlet port of each rotor chamber and said combined abutments and valves being movable in such relation to the reversing valves that they alternately open and close communication of the steam chest with the other inlet ports of the rotor chambers at predetermined places in the rotation of the rotors, respectively.

7. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a plurality valves having an opening through which the steam chest has communication with an inlet port, means connecting the valves of each pair with each other and serving to move them in relatively reverse directions simul- -taneously,'means connecting one pair of reversing valves with the other pair of the same, and a pair of'connected slidable abutments, respectively mounted between a pair of reversing valves, said abutments being so arranged that in their travels they alternately cover and uncover the openings in the reversing valves through which the steam chest has communication with the inlet-ports.

8. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a plurality of rotor chambers each having a pair of inlet ports and a pair of exhaust ports, a shaft extending through said casing, eccentric rotors mounted on said shaft and arranged in said chambers, respectively, a steam chamber having openings leading to said inlet ports, a reversing valve-mechanism for closing communication of the steam chest with an inlet port of each rotor chamber and opening communication of the steam chamber'with the other inlet ports, and connected abutments extending from the steam chamber into the rotor chambers and arranged between the pair of inlet ports respectively, said abutments having their inner edges engaged with the rotors and being so arranged that in their travel they open and close communication of the steam chamber with the particular inlet ports through which steam is being supplied to the rotor chambers.

9. A rotary steam engine having, in combination, a casing provided with a plurality of rotor chambers each having a pair of inlet ports and a pair of exhaust ports, a shaft extending through said casing, eccentric rotors mounted on said shaft and arranged in said chambers, respectively, a steam chamber having openings leading to said inlet ports, a pair of slidable reversing valves for each rotor chamber, each of said valves having an opening through which the steam chamber has communication with an inlet port, respectively, rods extending from said valves, a rocker arm connecting the rods of one pair of rods together, a second rocker arm connecting the other pair of rods together, means connecting said rocker arms with each other, and a pair of connected slidable abutments, respectively mounted between the pair of reversing valves, said abutments being adapted in their travels to cover and uncover the openings in the valves and having their inner ends engaged with the rotors.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BENJAMIN H. ALVEY. Witnesses:

GEO. E. TABER, L. K. ENGLISH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

